Thursday, February 7, 2013

Abandoned buildings causing problems

State Senator Tony Avella and the Auburndale Improvement Association were joined by area residents at a January 31 rally condemning the deplorable conditions of four attached houses in Auburndale that have been abandoned by the property owner for years.

Members of the civic association and neighbors have been contacting Avella regarding this property since before he took office in 2011. According to residents, these properties have been abandoned for more than seven years and continue to be an eyesore and health hazard for the community. After visiting the site, Avella found the buildings to be in an extremely hazardous condition, with garages and property below grade, missing garage doors, unlocked doors to individual units, broken or missing windows, and litter strewn throughout the site.

Avella has contacted several city agencies, including the Departments of Health and Mental Hygiene, Sanitation, and Buildings regarding these hazardous conditions. While these agencies have acknowledged these conditions and issued violations, the conditions continue unabated. According to the city Department of Buildings, all four properties have a current unsafe building violation and have amassed numerous violations since 2007 for their failure to comply with building and construction codes. The property owner, Parsons Realty LLC, defaulted on 33 violations, resulting in thousands of dollars in unpaid fines. Unfortunately, the numerous violations have yet to compel the property owner to take corrective measures.

Avella has set up a task force, in conjunction with local civic associations, to address the ever increasing number of chronically vacant abandoned properties and construction sites throughout Queens.

12 comments:

Anonymous
said...

The property owner, Parsons Realty LLC, defaulted on 33 violations, resulting in thousands of dollars in unpaid fines. Unfortunately, the numerous violations have yet to compel the property owner to take corrective measures.

In a perfect world violations would be paid and corrected. The system isn’t working. Why aren’t our elected officials attempting to fix this problem? Laws need to be changed and if our elected politicians don’t want to change the laws. Why do we keep voting for them while our communities continue to get f**ked?

Super Halal Meat 253-06 Hillside Avenue, Bellerose, Queens

Look at all the violations and complaints this building has. After almost 3 years, this store is still operating as if nothing is wrong. Our elected officials continue to claim there is nothing they can do., while the surrounding homeowners get screwed.

What about the abandoned Key Food supermarket in the Lindenvue Shopping Center? It's been empty for over half a year leaving the surrounding community without a non-Asian food market. There's an H Mart on Union Street but it lacks the variety, amenities, and brands that the community had with the Key Food.

Rumor has it that an additional H Mart will be going into that space. Where are the elected officials and community groups who should be advocating for a more general food market that caters to the entire community and not just one demographic??? Much of the non-Asian community is elderly and/or disabled and these citizens don't have access to vehicles to shop elsewhere. This has been and is a travesty!!! Welcome to the new Flushing. Non-Asians need not apply.

Sorry, it should not be up to the government to decide what type of merchandise a store should carry.

This lot in Auburndale was cleaned up by DSNY several months ago. I hope the city billed the property owners for the cleanup. Ironically, this lot is right near a Waldbaums that closed up and is supposed to reopen as an H-Mart.

To those who miss the selection of the Key Food, I have two words. Fresh Direct. Not a perfect solution but better than nothing if you don't have a car.

How about find two or three other people in a similar situation, and spit a $20 tops round trip cab ride to Waldbaums on 20th ave or Key Food in Whitestone. Anyone who shopped at that Key Food should not be surprised in the least that it closed.

Doesn't the city have the power to put a lien on the property for unpaid taxes and violations? Why hasn't this been done?

A non-profit organization should take ownership, spruce up the homes and then sell them in a first-time home buyer or affordable housing program. It's better for the houses to be occupied than stay vacant.

My civic got an immediate response when we sent a letter to the owners, DoB and the BANK holding the MORTGAGE... check ACRIS for that info. The bank becomes liable in third-party suits. And they have deep pockets, so if someone gets hurt they are the attorney's target of choice.

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